Karma's a bitch

What goes around, comes around.

I’ve always said it, and I’ve always half-heartedly believed it. 

Now?

100% believe it.

Why?

I got a phone call this morning. 

Most everyone knows that I was a victim of domestic violence years ago.  Thankfully and blessedly, I was (and am) surrounded by people who pulled me out of the cycle that so many women (and children) find themselves trapped in, and several years later, I am completely in love with a man who loves me, cherishes me and treats me the way I deserve to be treated.  But I digress.

The phone call.  The guy who had put me in the hospital several years ago was now in the hospital with a concussion, a broken ribs, a fractured skull, collapsed lung, and a long, long list of other injuries.  He was on life support until this morning when he was able to breathe on his own.  His sister was the one who called me, and she let me know that he was in really bad shape--unrecognizable even to his family.

How did he end up like that? 

He had stolen his sister’s car (who has an 8 month old baby girl to care for) and gone to Prichard to...well.  You know why a white boy from Daphne would be in Prichard.  Apparently, he said the wrong thing to the wrong somebody, and that wrong somebody let him have it.  And have it.  And have it.  And that wrong somebody left him for dead on the side of the road.

I don’t mean to be a callous as I may sound.  I empathize for his family, and I wouldn’t wish for anyone to have to see their child beaten this badly.  But from my perspective, it’s karma’s way of coming back around.  Someday, somehow, the pain that you inflict on others will come back threefold and catch you completely unaware and off guard. 

Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it?

random

I'm in a completely random mood. 

1.  "Swobe" is a word.  Google it. As in, "That is the fugliest swobe I have ever seen."  (sweater + robe = swobe.)  And yes, I own one...or 3.

2.  I am so farking tired of cold weather.  Bring me sunshine...please.  I am tired, tired, tired of south Alabama's excuse for winter. 

3.  I am currently obsessed with powerade's new pink lemonde flavor. 

4.  I don't want to go to Enterprise this weekend.  Funerals give me the heebies.

5.  Last night, CSI was on not one, not two, not three, but FOUR different channels at the same time.  Two were Miami, two were LV.  Seriously. 

6.  I am completely addicted to the First 48 on A&E.  And I can't wait for the start of the new DEA show.  I'm a dork.

7.  I want Makayla to have every opportunity in the world to be happy and successful.  I wish my sister would realize what a gift she's been given with Squirrel.

8.  St. Patty-cake-day is almost here :-)  Yes, there will be green feathers in abundance.  And green beer.  Lots of it, since it coincides with two things:
1.  Arts and Crafts weekend
2. Saturday :-)
Did you know the Catholic church had St. Pat's moved this year from Monday back to Saturday?

9.  I don't think I'm going to be up to running a 10K in Memphis.  But I'll be cheering like a good girlfriend from the sidelines with a Blue Moon in my hand.

Carnival

Even though I was battling the sinus monster from hell and felt like poo by the end of carnival season, I think this year may go down in my book as one of my top 5 Mardi Gras years ever.

I didn't parade as much as I usually do, mostly due to the fact that Mardi Gras season kicked off a mere 2 weeks after the beginning of 2008.  Who wants to catch moon pies and beads when you're just coming down off of the holiday rush??

But I caught up and paraded my little heart out with the jam-packed weekend preceding Fat Tuesday.

And JW.  Bless his heart--I told him a month or so ago about a "costume party" ball that we go to every year.  He jumped in with both feet and only asked one thing...."Can I paint my face green??"  He hammed it up as the Wicked Witch of the West for our fantastically awesome rendition of the the cast of Oz.  And lo and behold, he walked away as "Queen of Mari Masquers."  He'll never live it down :-)

And Joe Cain...it's one of my favorite days of the entire year.  It's like an all day tailgating party that people ride by and throw stuff at you. 

I'm just rambling, because I hate to see another Mardi Gras season go by, but lordy, I had a great time. 

Time to pack up the beads, masks, and costumes til next year...

Dauphin Island Four

Last night, my neighborhood held a candlelight vigil for the four children that were thrown from the top of the Dauphin Island Bridge in Bayou La Batre.  It was sincerely creepy, as my neighbor's very young daughter started crying amid the silence and was calling for her daddy.  Being that the reason for the vigil in the first place was because a father murdered his four children, the fact that she was the only voice in the night...it weirded me out.

Not five minutes later, we were watching the news, trying to catch the weather report for today.  The weather report--i had the change the channel once i caught wind of what dear old John Edd was saying--was not your typical marine forecase.  No, it was a marine forecast centered on the directions the bodies of the children were being carried by the tides.  Complete with pinpoint locations of where the 3 bodies had already been found and the search area of where the 4th should have drifted.  (Let me add here that the "4th body" is that of a two year old little girl.) I had the change the channel.

It's been a long time since a news story has upset me this way.  Four children, all under the age of 5, one not even seeing his first birthday, thrown from a 95ft high bridge into freezing January water in a location known for both heavy marine traffic and marine life.  Even on the off chance that one or all of the children had survived the fall, the alligators that fill the water around that area wouldn't have left much behind. 

What kind of sick bastard is Lam Luong? What kind of sick bastard throws all of his children off a bridge because he and his wife got into an argument?  What kind of sick bastard tells authorities that "he wants to be famous like the Virgina Tech shooter"?  What kind of sick bastard takes away the life of four beautiful, innocent children...for what? 

I hope that , for once, the justice system gets things right with this sick and twisted man.  I hope that all of the pain and suffering of the four children, their mother, their family and friends is inflicted on this pathetic excuse for a human being.  May he feel  what they feel a thousand-fold. May the fiery depths of hell be deemed to pleasant a condition for you.

God bless the search crews, the rescue teams, the duck hunters who found the first body, the many residents of Bayou La Batre, Dauphin Island, Mobile County and the Gulf Coast for helping out in whatever capacity you've been able.  Peace and healing to the family--especially the mother--of  the Dauphin Island Four.  And most importantly, hope and love to the four innocents who lost their lives at the hands of someone that they should have been able to count on the most.

tagged

Once you've been tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 weird, random things, habits, or goals about yourself.  At the end, chose 10 people to be tagged , listing their names and why you chose them.  Don't forget to leave them  a comment (Tag!  You're it!) and a note to read your blog.  You can't tag the person who tagged you, but let them know when you've posted so they can check out your answers.

MMMMMMMkay...Rach tagged me, so here goes.

1.  I'm very particular about alarm clocks...actually, digital clocks in general.  I hate anything but red displays.  Green and blue and that weird icky greenish/yellowish color irritate me.

2.  My feet are two completely different sizes.  I wear an 8 on my left foot and a 7 on my right.  I have been known to go to Wal-Mart or Target and buy shoes for the basic reason that I can switch out shoes have a (mis)matched pair.

3. I have social anxiety disorder.  It's like pulling teeth to get me out of my house sometimes.  But once I'm whereever I was fighting to go, I'm fine.  ANd I usually have a great time.  Along those same lines, crowds of people (i.e. Jordan Hare Stadium at halftime trying to get to the women's bathroom, Mardi Gras crowds in general, Bayfest, etc.) give me the heebie jeebies.

4.  I scored a perfect score in both reading comprehension and grammar on my ACT :-).  But I scored a 17 in math.

5.  I love boy names for little girls, like Ryan, Michael, and Alden (and Charlie!).  I DON'T like girls names for boys...Ashley and Courtney are not names for boys.

6.  I love fried bologna on a homemade oatmeal raisin cookie :-)

7.  I am a bathroom and automobile rock STAR.  I rival the best of the best with my singing and dancing shenanigans jamming along with the radio.  Hairbrushes make excellent microphones, as do curling irons, to-go cups from fast food places, and Sunkist bottles.

8.  Hot dogs are the most vile creation ever.  Just the smell of a hot dog makes me gag.  ESPECIALLY the ones that are bright, bright freakishly red.  They should not be regarded as a food product. However, sausage dogs are a whole 'nother story....'specially when they have sauteed peppers and onions.

9.  I envy people who've "got it all together" sometimes.  I live in a perpetual state of chaos.  Soccer moms with their color-coded calendars are like aliens to me.

10.  I actually LIKE fruitcake. 

And now...to tag:

1.  Geoff...because your answers are always witty and interesting.
2. Stephanie--because we always steal stuff like this from each other.
3.  Christen--because I can!
4.  Kelly--because what good is family if we can't annoy each other?
5.  Chris--because you won't do it...
6. Courntey--because you will...
7.  Mark--because your last blog BLOCKED me...
8.  Adrian--because it's interesting...
9.  Lindz--because I need another E-Sho girl doing this...
and
10.  Laura--because I'm spreading the love...
AAAAND...
11.  Melissa.  To alleviate the hell that is boredom :-)

Thank heaven for little girls

I can't even describe the miracle of Makayla's birth.  Watching my sister go from hardcore party child to Makayla's mama in a matter of several seconds was unbelievable.  Not to mention the sheer miracle that is the birth of a child.

My niece, Makayla Jewel Anthony, was born Friday, 10/12/2007 at 6:55 pm.  7 lbs, 13 oz and 20 inches of complete perfection, I didn't know I could love a baby like I love this kid...and she's not even mine.  She looks like both Amber and Jesse, but her attitude is all Harold.

Mom and Miss Makayla both came home from the hospital yesterday, and both are doing fine :-)  Thank you to everyone who has called, come by, stopped by the hospital or otherwise gone out of your way to make Miss Makayla's birthday special.

If you want the whole photo experience, you can check it out here:

www.kodakgallery.com/catrelle83